HIGH SEAS

HIGH SEAS The Right FORMULA

Formula Boats’ SENSATIONAL new 53-foot 500 SSC family cruiser debuts Mercury’s 600-hp V-12 Verado outboard

By Howard Walker

The ghost of Don Aronow must be smiling at the awe-inspiring sight of Formula Boats’ newest flagship, the 53-foot 500 Super Sport Crossover, spearing across the water at an insane 60-plus mph.

Prior to creating such iconic brands as Donzi, Cigarette, and Magnum out of his gritty Thunderboat Row factory on 188th Street in North Miami, Aronow—the undisputed king of go-fast boats—founded Formula Marine in 1962. He sold the company two years later, but not before his groundbreaking 23-foot needle-nosed Formula 233 had dominated the Florida powerboat circuit, winning the grueling Miami-Nassau and Miami-Bimini offshore races.

Aronow lived and breathed high horsepower, so the mere sight of this new $2.8 million Formula 500 SSC would have had him salivating. That’s because hanging off the back of this sleek, stylish, XXL-sized bowrider is a quartet of 600-hp Mercury Verado V-12s. The 500 SSC has the distinction of being one of the first boats to not only be designed around these truly revolutionary outboards, but to offer them at all.

These V-12s boast two-speed automatic transmission and a steerable gearcase—the engine itself doesn’t turn, just the lower section. Also impressive is that the engine is made to run 200 hours between oil changes and routine servicing, as well as a staggering 1,000 hours (or five years, whichever comes first) before more in-depth maintenance is required. No wonder they each come with an eye-watering $77,000 price tag: They’re a head-turning addition to a boat that already turns heads.

“Super Sport Crossover” is a fitting description for this multitasking powerboat. It’s part

dayboat, part luxurious weekender, part grininducing thrill ride. Stretching 53 feet from bow to stern and with a 14-foot-6-inch beam, the SSC offers ample space for entertaining. Formula calls the concept SmartZone; here it totals 40 linear feet of cockpit on one continuous level.

The area under that vast hardtop is especially great. To open it, either power back the glass roof or lower the vertical glass sections between the cabin and the rear seating/eating area. And did I mention that the push of a button levitates a 65-inch flat-screen TV out of a cabinet? It’s ideal for watching the game or an after-dinner movie at anchor.

While that huge rear swim platform (which totals 71 square feet) kind of looks like an afterthought, it does give easy access to and from the water. It also provides a place to stow a paddleboard or two—or a spot to simply stand and gaze at those mighty Verado V-12s.

Stepping through the 500’s slide-open windshield leads you into the party-perfect bow area. There’s room for a crowd of 10 on wraparound seats. You can also drop the table to create a stretch-out tanning lounge.

If you plan to spend the night, the cabin feels more like a posh penthouse. It’s all sexy Corian surfaces, gray hardwood cabinets, and creamy Ultraleather sofas and wall coverings. There’s a spacious aft stateroom with a fixed queen-size bed and large hull windows, plus a 32-inch LED TV and soundbar. Close by is the oversized head with a separate stand-up shower. And speaking of “stand-up,” the 500’s cabin boasts an impressive 6 feet, 7 inches of headroom. Other cool features include the U-shaped sofa up front that converts from a dining area to a double bed, a built-in Dyson vacuum cleaner system, 16,000 BTUs of air conditioning, and multicolored LED lighting.

R e g a r d l e s s o f a e s t h e t i c s , t h e 5 0 0 S S C i s a l l a b o u t p e r f o r m a n c e . T h e h u l l h a s F o r m u l a ’ s p a t e n t e d F a s T e c h m u l t i s t e p d e s i g n t h a t h e l p s l i f t t h e b o a t o n t o t h e p l a n e w i t h e a s e , s l i c e t h r o u g h g n a r l y w h i t e c a p s , a n d t u r n o n a d i m e . A n d t h e 6 5 0 - g a l l o n f u e l t a n k s s h o u l d g e t y o u t o t h e B a h a m a s a n d b a c k w i t h g a s t o s p a r e . T h a t w o u l d m a k e D o n A r o n o w v e r y «h a p p y i n d e e d .

POWER FILE

PRICE: FROM $2.8 MILLION LENGTH: 53 FEET BEAM: 14.6 FEET DRY WEIGHT: 44,000 POUNDS POWER: 4 X 600-HP V-12 MERCURY VERADOS TOP SPEED: 67 MPH WHY WE LOVE IT: BECAUSE WHO DOESN’T LOVE AN ALL-PURPOSE FAMILY CRUISER WITH 2,400 HP?

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